NINE PADDY GRANARY PROJECTS IN SARAWAK TO STRENGTHEN NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 10 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM) is intensifying efforts to boost local rice production, including through nine paddy granary development projects in Sarawak starting next year, to strengthen the country’s food security.

Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said the projects, covering the Batang Lupar, Kota Samarahan, Serian and Igan parliamentary constituencies, involve an allocation of RM223 million for 2026.

He said the initiative is one of the ministry’s key strategies to enhance Malaysia’s self-reliance in food supply in the event of import disruptions and to reduce dependence on imported staples.

“To address potential risks and strengthen food resilience, various measures are being implemented, including improving mechanisms in the paddy and rice industry, strengthening the beef industry, and further developing the dairy and aquaculture sectors,” he said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Aminolhuda Hassan (PH-Sri Gading), who asked whether the allocation for the ministry next year would effectively support the expansion of identified paddy granary areas such as those in Sarawak.

Mohamad said Malaysia’s self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) in 2023 was 56.2 per cent for rice and 90.2 per cent for chicken, with encouraging growth also seen in beef and fresh milk production. Nevertheless, he noted that the country still relies heavily on imports for several food items, especially rice, poultry and certain vegetables.

As of Oct 21, the nation’s physical rice stock stood at 1.19 million metric tonnes, sufficient to meet domestic demand for six months, while chicken production remained stable, with projections of 70.65 million birds, he said.

He added that the government is taking a holistic approach by coordinating efforts among various ministries and agencies, including the Economy Ministry and the Rural and Regional Development Ministry, to strengthen national food security.

The initiative also involves collaborating with state governments to identify new areas for paddy granary development, besides ensuring that land allocation issues do not hinder project implementation.

“Both Deputy Prime Ministers are directly involved in this food security initiative to ensure policies and actions are effectively aligned between the federal and state levels,” he said.

However, Mohamad said the proposal to bring experienced paddy farmers from Peninsular Malaysia to assist with new granary operations in Sabah and Sarawak has yet to be finalised, as local manpower in both states is currently capable of managing the newly developed areas.

In response to a supplementary question from Capt (Rtd) Datuk Dr Zulkafperi Hanapi (Tanjung Karang) on the local shrimp industry, Mohamad said the aquaculture sector continues to record steady growth and contributes positively to the improvement of the national fisheries SSR.

-- BERNAMA